Love, Faith, Life
by Bexara
Summary: Kise and Kuroko are married and awaiting the birth of their child. When Kuroko goes into labor, complications arise that threaten to shake the foundation of their lives. Warnings: BL, mpreg


A/N: I'm not into mpreg, but I don't hate it either. This fic was written for a couple of wonderful people on tumblr, one of which has drawn a picture for it. Her name is mitsucchi. My good friend Bayou who has drawn tons of pics from my stories, plus the AoKaga naked apron collab fic, has also drawn a couple of pics. You can find mitsucchi and bayoukun by typing their .com. This fic is also on tumblr, livejournal and A03. Thanks to everyone who reviews, favorites and follows me here. It makes me very happy.

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Kise was snoring and drooling, something fans of the world-famous model would no doubt be horrified to see, when Kuroko gently shook his shoulder.

"It's time, Kise-kun," there was an urgent note in Kuroko's soft voice, but since he was mostly asleep, Kise didn't detect it right away.

Mumbling, his lashes lifted just enough to allow him to view the clock on the nearby nightstand. The muted red numbers showed it was only 3:30 AM in the morning.

"Time?" he slurred drowsily. "It's not time to get up yet. Come back to bed, Kurokocchi." He patted the sheet beside him, lids already sliding back shut before he finished speaking.

A sharp pain in his cheek roused him a second later, and his eyes flew open. The pain had come from the fingers cruelly pinching his face, fingers that belonged to the man bending over him, face pale and brows knitted together in pain.

"It's time, Kise-kun," Kuroko repeated, and this time the urgency and meaning of his words sank in.

"It's time," Kise echoed dumbly, then shouted, "Oh my God! It's _time_!"

He bolted up in the bed, fighting the web of sheets and blankets molded to his body like a second skin. The bedding won. While Kuroko calmly watched, hands cradled protectively over his swollen belly, Kise struggled and cursed, trying to release his arms and legs from the tangle of cloth around him. One particularly violent movement sent him careening to the floor, looking very much like a blond burrito. Kuroko giggled, then winced as pain sliced through his abdomen.

"_Kise-kun_," he hissed breathlessly.

That distressed sound of his name was as loud as scream to Kise. With a primal grunt, he exploded out of the strait-jacket like bedding, reminding Kuroko of the green monster ripping off his clothes in that American super-hero movie Kise made him watch the previous week. He wanted to laugh again, but didn't like the accompanying pain, so he made do with a small smile.

Kise rushed over to Kuroko once he was free, grabbing hold of the smaller man's shoulders, holding him at arm's length while burnished eyes roved anxiously over him.

"Are you alright, Kurokocchi? Does it hurt? Do you need to sit down?" Kise's tongue was almost tripping over itself as he gushed the concerned questions out.

Lifting his hands, Kuroko cupped Kise's face. "Breathe, Kise-kun. It's okay. We have time. The contractions just started."

All the air in his lungs whooshed out as Kise sighed in relief. "Good, that's good. Let's get some clothes on and head to the hospital."

He finally noticed Kuroko was already dressed in a large white shirt, blue sweatpants, and even had his slippers on. With a husky laugh, Kise pressed his lips to Kuroko's forehead and lightly held him close, gently rubbing his back in slow, soothing circles. "I guess I'm the only one that needs to get dressed, huh. Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

Kuroko leaned into him, closing his eyes as that large hand massaged some of the ache away. "Because I know you would have wanted to do it for me, and I can dress myself. It would have taken four times as long if you tried to help, Kise-kun."

Smiling wryly, Kise acknowledged Kuroko was probably right. Over the last few weeks, as the time drew near for his spouse to give birth, he had gone a bit overboard, not letting Kuroko do anything for himself.

"You're right, Kurokocchi," he chuckled, "but it's only because we are having a baby. I know how capable you are."

The words he just said registered and Kise's eyes widened. "We're having a baby," he repeated first in awe, and then in panic, "_We're having a baby!_"

Spinning away from Kuroko, Kise ran to the closet, frantically searching for something to wear. Grabbing the first thing he put his hands on, he yanked the shirt off the hanger and thrust it over his head.

"Ah, that's my shirt, Kise-kun," Kuroko attempted to tell him, but he wasn't listening, not even noticing that the yellow shirt stretched uncomfortably across his chest, barely reaching halfway down his torso.

The pants he grabbed next were cherry red, black flames down the sides of the legs. They were a gift from the designer of one of his modeling jobs and Kise had sworn never to wear the grotesque garments. Well, it was obvious his mind was on other things.

Kuroko eased his bulk down into a nearby chair, content for the moment to watch Kise's antics. It was quite amusing. The blond ran around the room, momentarily forgetting were his socks were kept, swearing and pulling at his hair. Once he finally recalled the location of his socks and got them on his feet, he pulled on a pair of shoes, unaware he was wearing a tennis shoe on one foot and a loafer on the other.

Pale blue eyes crinkled slightly. Kuroko wondered what Kise's legion of admirers would think if they saw him now. His amusement faded as another agonizing spasm rocked through him. Doubling over, he whimpered, unable to hold the sound in.

Kise dashed toward him, hands waving anxiously in the air. "Are you okay, Kurokocchi?!"

Grimacing, Kuroko breathed through the pain and gingerly sat back up in the chair. "I'm fine. This is normal, Kise-kun."

Worried, Kise bit his lip. "I don't like seeing you in pain, Kurokocchi."

"Hmm, then I guess you will just have to stay out of the delivery room," Kuroko replied dryly.

"_Ehhh?!_ That's mean!" Kise whined.

Ignoring him, Kuroko held out his hand. "Help me up, Kise-kun."

Lacing their fingers together, Kise braced Kuroko's back with his other hand and assisted the shorter man to his feet. Grabbing Kuroko's jacket, he put it on those slender shoulders, snagging his off the coat hanger when he walked Kuroko to the front entryway.

Picking up the bright green suitcase that had been packed and ready for the last month, Kise opened the door. Ushering Kuroko outside, he led his waddling spouse down the sidewalk and over to the driveway. Popping the trunk on the silver Lexus sitting there, he shoved the suitcase in and slammed the lid shut. He raced to the driver's side, hopped in, started it up, and backed down the drive. Only when he reached the end, did he look forward to see Kuroko standing patiently where he had left him.

"_Kurokocchi!_" Kise gasped loudly, unable to believe he had almost driven off without the other man.

Throwing the car back into gear, he raced back up the driveway, jumping out of the car as he was still putting it in park.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Kurokocchi," he cried. Opening the passenger door, he helped Kuroko slide into the seat, buckled him in, and sprinted back to the driver's side. He kept apologizing all the way to the hospital.

Kuroko didn't answer, or rather _couldn't_. The pains were coming fast and furious now and something felt … off. Fumbling for Kise's hand, he held it tightly, squeezing with every contraction.

Kise kept glancing apprehensively at the man beside him, not even making a sound when his hand went numb from the strength of Kuroko's grip. His love was pale, paler than Kise had ever seen him, panting and moaning quietly. Accelerating, Kise pushed the speedometer past the legal limit, but he frankly didn't care at the moment.

In all honesty, he had initially been against the pregnancy. Though science had made an amazing breakthrough in the 1970's that allowed same sex couples to have children, it still came with some risks. Men were five times more likely to suffer complications than women because their bodies just weren't designed to carry a baby. While the idea of a child with Kuroko's blue, blue eyes appealed to Kise on a fundamental level, he hadn't wanted his spouse in any kind of danger.

Through weeks and months of persuasion, wheedling and seduction, the last part still featuring in some of Kise's hottest dreams, Kuroko had managed to convince him. Though, really, just seeing how much Kuroko wanted the child did more to sway Kise than anything else. He'd known Kuroko had always loved children, had seen the yearning look when Kagami and Momoi brought their newborn twins over two years ago. Kise couldn't deny Kuroko something he so badly craved, and gave in, keeping his fears locked up tightly inside.

When they had found out Kuroko was pregnant, Kise had cried while the smaller man held him, murmuring nonsensical words and petting his hair. Once he'd calmed down, they'd made love, there on the plush rug in front of their fireplace. The flames had flickered over Kuroko's lithe body as he straddled Kise, putting the blond inside him, slowly riding and rocking until they were both gasping out their pleasure. It had been sweet and beautiful and, though he hadn't thought it possible, his heart had swelled even more with love for this wonderful person he had been infatuated with since middle school.

Of course, Kise went a little nuts over the course of the last nine months, discovering the shutterbug inside him. He was used to being in front of the camera, not behind it, but he wanted to chronicle every stage of the pregnancy. There were countless pictures on their walls, even more on the computer. Pictures of Kuroko when he wasn't even showing. Pictures of him buying baby clothes. Pictures of him with a small bump, pictures with a bigger bump.

Kise's favorite picture of all was probably one he had taken just last month. Kuroko had been sleeping on his side on the special pillow they had bought for him when his back had started aching. He'd been curled up slightly, big belly supported by the pillow, hair the usual mess, and he had never been more beautiful in Kise's eyes.

All of these were faint, pleasant memories as he pulled up to the emergency room entrance and leapt from the car, nabbing the first scrubs-wearing person he saw. Five minutes later, Kuroko was in a wheel chair and a nurse was rolling him down a hospital corridor while Kise rattled off their doctor's name and insurance information. Gasps and whispers of recognition followed them, but Kise paid them no attention. He wasn't a model today, but a husband and expectant father. Another ten minutes and they were in a room, Kise wearing white scrubs, booties, gloves and a hair cover, Kuroko in a hospital gown and on the bed.

While they waited for the doctor to come and the nurses worked to make Kuroko comfortable, Kise pulled out the camera he had pocketed before leaving and began snapping pictures. He planned on flipping it to video later, once the doctor came and they got down to business. Nervousness and apprehension vied with excitement and joy inside him.

Because he had the camera trained on Kuroko's face, Kise saw the exact moment when absolute terror passed through his eyes.

Pushing the nurse aside, Kise grabbed Kuroko's hand. "What's the matter, Kurokocchi?"

Kuroko looked up at him, lips bloodless and perspiration coating his forehead. "Something's wrong, Kise-kun."

The nurse gave them both a dark look, not appreciating being manhandled by Kise. "Males often think that because their bodies don't really know how to handle the birthing process but I assure you that there's nothing to worr—."

She didn't get to finish the no-doubt standard speech because Kuroko let out a blood curdling scream and contorted violently on the bed. The doctor rushed in at that moment, he and the nurses forcing Kise out of the way while they examined Kuroko.

"What's wrong? What's happening? Kurokocchi?" Kise tried to shove his way back to Kuroko's side, but the doctor turned and barked at him.

"I need you out of here. Now!"

"But I have to stay with—."

"Someone, get him out of here!" the doctor shouted at the nurses.

Not understanding what was going on, knowing only that his Kurokocchi was screaming and in pain, Kise fought them. In the end, it took four nurses, two of them male, to get him out of that room.

"_Kurokocchi! Kurokocchi!_" he yelled until his voice was hoarse as they dragged him away and to a nearby waiting room.

What was happening? _What was happening?_ Kise was scared, more scared than he had ever been in his life. And confused and so terribly alone, there in that waiting room, all the smells of the hospital he hadn't noticed before assaulting him. Disinfectant. Waste. Blood. _Death_.

No no no no no! The nurses had pushed him into a chair, but he jumped up now and ran to the nurse's desk.

"My name is Kise Ryouta and my husband, Kuroko, um, Kise Tetsuya is in there right now and I need to know what's happening?!"

He shouted at the nurse manning the computer, slamming his hands on the counter, not caring that he was making a scene, not caring about anything other than Kuroko. Another nurse came up and they both tried to get him to calm down, but that was ridiculous. How could he calm down when everything he loved in the world was separated from him, hurting, maybe even calling for him? There was no way in hell he could be calm!

The doctor came out of the doors while he was ranting at the nurses, and the look on his face caused Kise's stomach to plummet.

"Kise-san, I need to talk to you for a moment. Can you come over here, please?"

Feeling like iron shackles weighed down every step he took, Kise walked over to the doctor, heart pounding uncontrollably in his chest.

"What, what is it?" he rasped, nails digging painfully into the palms of his hands from his clenched fists.

The doctor began speaking but Kise only heard parts of what he was saying, the loud buzzing in his ears cancelling out much of what the doctor said. _Vasa praevia. Emergency C-Section. Possible stillbirth. Danger to the father. Special surgeon. Moving to fourth floor._

It was all a blur, but somehow Kise found himself in a waiting room on the fourth floor outside a surgery ward. The large steel doors swung open and a face he recognized, a face he'd just seen over a dinner table two months prior came out.

"Midorimacchi!"

Midorima came forward, expression sober and tense.

"Kise," he nodded.

Kise ran fingers through his blond hair, already disheveled from the other hundred times he had done it in the last five minutes.

"I'm not sure what's going on, Midorimacchi. They kicked me out of Kurokocchi's room and then our doctor came out and said something about an emergency C-Section, but I don't understand what he was talking about."

He didn't even take a breath as the words tumbled from his lips.

"Kise, listen to me—."

"Midorimacchi, tell me what's going on, please! I can't even think I—."

"Listen to me!" Midorima cut him off sternly. Kise stopped speaking and sucked in a giant gulp of air. "Kuroko, I can't believe you still call each other by your family names when you've been married for five years, but anyway Kuroko needs surgery asap. Both he and your child are in danger if we don't perform it right away. Do you hear what I am saying?"

The edges of his vision turning dim, Kise forced himself to stay conscious and upright. "Yes, but I don't understand. His pregnancy was perfect, no complications at all."

Sympathy flashed across Midorima's face. "Sometimes, there's simply no rhyme or reason why these things happen. Now, I need to get back in there, but I wanted to come out and talk to you. I thought maybe you would feel a bit better if you saw a familiar face."

He turned to go. Kise grabbed hold of Midorima, forcing the renowned surgeon back around, desperation in that white-knuckled, trembling grip. Tears glimmered like broken diamonds in his wide, golden eyes.

"My entire life is in there, on that hospital table, Midorimacchi. You have to save him, save _them_. Kurokocchi and our child. I don't know what I would do if ... if...," he couldn't complete the sentence, couldn't even let the horrific thought go through his mind.

Patting him awkwardly on the shoulder, Midorima spoke, and the calm confidence in his voice gave Kise some measure of hope.

"I swear that I won't rest until Kuroko is out of danger and you are holding your newborn baby in your arms, Kise."

Unable to speak past the hard knot of bile choking his throat, he just nodded, watching as Midorima , slipped on gloves and strode purposefully back into the operating room, knowing the doctor held his heart, his soul, his very existence in those large, latex-covered hands.

The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness, bleeding into one hour, then two, then three, four, five. Memories washed over him. The moment he realized he was in love with Kuroko. The night Kuroko confessed to returning his feelings. Their first date, first kiss, the first time they made love. The quiet wedding ceremony they had in Tokyo. Their honeymoon in Hawaii. A billion kisses and touches and smiles, all of those happy, precious times. Kise couldn't think, couldn't accept that it could all be ripped away from him.

An eternity passed. The waiting, the not knowing, it was all unbearable. Kise was hunched over on in one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, head in his hands, a prayer on his tongue, when Midorima finally came back out.

Clutching the arms of the chair in a death grip, he looked up, face haggard and drawn. Midorima pulled the blue scrub cap off his head and smiled, a small, tired smile, but it was still a smile. Kise's stomach bottomed out and he stood up.

"Is he … are they …"

Midorima nodded. "Yes, they are both fine. Both Kuroko and your child, your _son_."

"Son?" Kise repeated in a low, wondering whisper, knees almost giving out on him as relief coursed through his body. "I have a son. Kurokocchi and I have a son." They hadn't asked for the sex of the baby during the pregnancy, Kuroko a bit superstitious about finding out before it was born.

"Yes, a healthy, 3.1 kg boy," Midorima confirmed. "Would you like to see him?"

"Can, can I? What about Kurokocchi?" his voice trembled. He needed to see Kuroko, needed to affirm with his own eyes that his loved one was safe and sound.

"He's still in recovery," Midorima waved a nurse over. "You can see him in a little bit. For now, she'll take you to the nursery."

"Ah, I don't," Kise tried to speak but his throat closed up as tears rolled unchecked down his face. Rubbing his arm over his eyes, he began again. "I don't know how to thank you, Midorimacchi. I … I'll be indebted to you for the rest of my life."

Before Midorima could even blink, Kise seized the taller man in a bear hug. The doctor allowed it for a half of a second before roughly thrusting Kise away. Pushing his glasses up, he harrumphed and turned around. Only the most discerning of eyes would have seen the red tint coloring the tips of his ears.

"Yes, well," he coughed, straightening his clothes, "I was just doing my job. Go with her and someone will let you know when you can see Kuroko."

Kise wanted to say more, felt like he hadn't properly expressed his gratitude, but Midorima left abruptly, going back through those steal doors.

"Kise-san, if you will follow me," the nurse piped up, looking at him in admiration. He ignored it. During normal circumstances, he was kind to his fans. Always smiling and patient, knowing they made him the star he was. There was nothing normal about this situation, however. He just walked silently beside her as she led him to the elevator. and to then to the nursery.

Another nurse was waiting for him when they got there, a small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket in her arms. Like a man in a dream, he walked over to her.

"Congratulations, Kise-san, he's beautiful."

She held the baby out to him. He lifted his hands, dropped them, lifted them again, dropped them again, eventually getting up the nerve to take the tiny figure from her.

He looked down at the small, wrinkled face, and fell in love for the second time in his life.

A different kind of love than what he felt for Kuroko, but no less intense, no less fierce, no less consuming. Kise wasn't aware tears were streaming from his eyes again, and when the pictures surfaced later in the tabloids, he wouldn't even remember when a couple of the nurses pulled out their phones and snapped shots of him. All his attention was focused on the treasure in his arms.

"Hi there," he whispered, voice thick with emotion, "I'm … I'm your daddy. Well, one of them." He gave a breathless chuckle.

Kise felt like a clumsy oaf, large and ungainly, holding his son. His son that was perfect and beautiful, with ten little fingers and ten little toes, and a shock of blond hair on that small head. _His_ hair. How amazing, how miraculous was that, this tiny new life bearing proof he was Kise's child right there on his head. Not just Kise's child, Kuroko's, too. The baby opened his eyes and Kise almost swooned with love. They were blue, a deep blue that he had been told would probably change over the first six months. He secretly hoped the blue would only lighten, that those eyes would become a replica of Kuroko's. Though he knew they would be gorgeous no matter their color.

His legs were rubbery and trembling from love and relief and fear he could hurt the tiny being in his arms. The nurses let him sit in a nursery rocking chair, and he began speaking in soft, low whispers.

"You are so loved, my little one. So loved. Your papa Kurokocchi has wanted you for so long. He looks expressionless sometimes, but you will soon be able to tell when you see his eyes for the first time: he feels more intensely than anyone. Is kinder than anyone, with a strong sense of justice and a bottomless well of compassion. I hope you inherited all of that from him, my son. If you did, you will grow up to be the best of men. Just like Kurokocchi."

He eventually stopped speaking, and just rocked his baby, humming quietly. The happiness soaring through him was immeasurable.

They came soon after to let him know Kuroko was awake and asking for him. Joy lit his face, rendering him more handsome than ever, causing one of the nurses to actually faint. He protested when they took his son from him, but he was assured that it was only temporary. Once he was in Kuroko's room, someone would bring the baby to them. Kise didn't need to be told twice. As fast as his long legs would carry him, he made his way back to the owner of his heart.

Kuroko looked peaked and exhausted as Kise stepped into the room. Hurrying over to the bed, Kise's eyes roved hungrily over that pale, beloved face. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to Kuroko's. Eyelashes fluttering, Kuroko gazed up at him and smiled, his rare, stunning smile.

"Kise-kun," he murmured the blond's name, voice a bit raspy from his ordeal. "They said we had a boy, and that he's perfect."

Nodding, Kise touched Kuroko's cheek. "He is, Kurokocchi. The most perfect baby in the world. And he's got a wild mess of hair, just like yours, only it's blond like mine."

"Then he must be beautiful, just like you," Kuroko said softly, reaching up to place his hand over Kise's.

"Kurokocchi." The other man usually didn't give compliments, not like that, and though Kise knew how much his spouse loved him, hearing the words spoken aloud made his soul fly.

There was a knock on the door, preventing him from saying anything else. Kise heard Kuroko take a long, quivering breath when the nurse came in holding their child. Gently taking the baby from her, Kise moved back to Kuroko's side.

"Here he is, Kurokocchi. Here's our son," he lowered the infant into Kuroko's waiting arms.

The baby fussed, letting out a wail of protest at being disturbed, until Kuroko settled the tiny figure on his chest.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay …," Kuroko's eyes lifted to Kise's who smiled and nodded, "Tsubasa. Kise Tsubasa."

It was the name they had picked out, and it was appropriate that Kuroko, who had done all the work, who had put his body through such danger, be the first to utter the name.

Kise watched his husband holding their child, their Tsubasa, and his eyes burned again. He didn't cry this time. Even with Kuroko weeping silently, happiness not sadness in his wide, blue eyes. There had been enough tears earlier.

Instead, he smiled, kissing Tsubasa first, then Kuroko, whispering fervently, "Thank you, Kurokocchi. Thank you for our child, thank you for being alive, thank you for loving me."

_Thank you, God, for not taking my whole world_, he added silently, and put his arms around his family, happy and at peace and hopelessly in love with the two men in his life: his Kurokocchi and his Tsubasacchi.

Fin.


End file.
